Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Pear Banana Smoothie

Fresh and seasonal fruits should be used in smoothies, that makes them full of flavor and naturally sweet. For the last few weeks, the local weekly market had an abundance of pears both the soft and the crisp kind. Just like an apple, it is a delight to bite into a crisp pear. BTW pears are from the apple family. I wanted the soft pear or babugosha as it is called in Delhi, to be the dominant taste in this smoothie. Hence I used 1 pear to half a banana. Again, same as my earlier smoothies I don't think this smoothie needs a sweetener. The pear and banana makes this smoothie really sweet. I used fruits that were ripe but not excessively so; use them at its peak of ripeness to completely relish its flavor and sweetness. Also, under-ripe fruits do not make a smoothie great.

Ingredients
Almonds - 12 to 15
Pear - 1 soft variety
Banana - half

Soak the almonds overnight, so that the almonds are ground well. Grind the almonds with about half cup water till completely smooth. You can lessen the water to get a thicker consistency. Skin and core the pear and dice them. Dice the banana as well. Add the pear and banana to the blender with the ground almonds and blend till completely smooth. The smoothie is ready.

The pear has a lot of benefits, it is known for its dietary fiber, anti-oxidants, minerals and vitamins. It has moderate amounts of antioxidant flavonoids phyto-nutrients such as beta-carotene, lutein and zea-xanthin. These compounds, along with vitamin C and A, help to keep the body protected from harmful free radicals. The fruit is a good source of minerals such as copper, iron, potassium, manganese and magnesium as well as B-complex vitamins such as folates, riboflavin and pyridoxine (vitamin B-6). It also has one of the lowest calories in the fruit family. Its dietary fiber helps prevent colon and breast cancer and keeping the cholesterol count low.